difficult to evidence

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficult to evidence" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward to some readers.
It can be used when discussing something that is hard to prove or demonstrate, particularly in academic or formal contexts. Example: "The theory presented in the paper is interesting, but it remains difficult to evidence due to a lack of empirical data."

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

For the hydrogen evolution reaction, the coverage rate of the electrode surface by adsorbed hydrogen is generally difficult to evidence especially in presence of bubbles.

Electrochimica Acta

As some patients (particularly cases 4, 12, 15 and 27) showed a high expression of p14ARF and/or p16INK4A in nontumoral tissue, it was difficult to evidence any increase in tumoral tissue.

British Journal of Cancer

The relative distribution of these populations varies between species [ 2, 3] and these cells are difficult to evidence as the consequence of the low turn-over of the respiratory epithelium [ 4].

BMC Veterinary Research

Although difficult to evidence, it was felt that their lived experience and associated empathy helped participants to be open and honest when recounting details of their self-management strategies, rather than feeling judged for being unusual or peculiar in any way.

BMC Psychiatry

Recent analysis based on NGS data (Fraïsse et al. 2015) revealed that deep sampling of the neutral fraction of the genome does not reveal a clear genetic structure between the two populations and that local adaptation is either extremely rare or extremely difficult to evidence (Gosset et al. 2014).

Evolutionary Applications

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Applying evidence in clinical practice is one of the most challenging aspects of evidence-based practice, in part because physicians find it difficult to interpret evidence [ 2].

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

"Mr. Elshani, I know it's difficult to give evidence," he said.

The New York Times

It isn't difficult to see evidence of confidence returning, and there are positive trends in production.

The Guardian

Both previous strategies have been abandoned before their success was measured, making it very difficult to find evidence of consistent improvement.

The Guardian

The ruling is important because it can be difficult to find evidence that an employer deliberately singled out one or a group of employees.

The New York Times

And yet during the extraordinary events of these years, it is very difficult to find evidence that Ormsby Gore had any great influence on American policy.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "difficult to evidence", consider whether a more common phrase like "hard to prove" would be clearer and more impactful for your audience.

Common error

Avoid using "difficult to evidence" in casual conversation or informal writing. It can sound overly formal and stilted.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficult to evidence" functions as an adjectival phrase followed by an infinitive, describing the quality of something that is hard to prove. Ludwig suggests that although grammatically acceptable, the phrase might sound somewhat awkward.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

80%

News & Media

20%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "difficult to evidence" is a phrase used to describe something challenging to prove, predominantly found in scientific and formal writing. While grammatically correct, Ludwig suggests that it can come across as somewhat awkward, and more common alternatives like "hard to prove" or "challenging to demonstrate" might be preferred for clarity. The phrase is rare but is often employed in contexts where rigorous proof is essential. When considering using "difficult to evidence", assess your audience and the overall tone to determine if a simpler alternative would be more effective.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hard to substantiate

Replaces "difficult" with "hard" and "evidence" with "substantiate", emphasizing the challenge of confirming something.

challenging to prove

Substitutes "difficult" with "challenging" and "evidence" with "prove", highlighting the effort required for demonstration.

not easily demonstrated

Emphasizes the lack of ease in showing something, using a more passive construction.

tough to verify

Replaces "difficult" with "tough" and "evidence" with "verify", focusing on the problem of confirming accuracy.

elusive to document

Highlights the problem of capturing or recording evidence.

hard to come by

Indicates that it is hard to obtain the proof

difficult to ascertain

Indicates the difficulty to establish the truth

not apparent

Indicates that the proof is not clear or obvious

lacking in proof

Highlights that the evidence is missing or scarce.

obscure to reveal

Indicates that the proof is hidden or not clear

FAQs

What does "difficult to evidence" mean?

The phrase "difficult to evidence" means that something is hard to prove or demonstrate due to a lack of available evidence or challenges in obtaining it.

How can I use "difficult to evidence" in a sentence?

You might say, "The correlation between these two factors is "difficult to evidence" without more comprehensive data."

What are some alternatives to "difficult to evidence"?

Alternatives include "hard to prove", "challenging to demonstrate", or "not easily shown", which may sound more natural in some contexts.

Is "difficult to evidence" grammatically correct?

While grammatically sound, "difficult to evidence" isn't as common as other similar phrases and may strike some readers as awkward. Consider using alternatives like "hard to substantiate" or "tough to verify".